Bringing Freedom 30 into my slip

Comment

Comment by LOLA on July 10, 2009 at 12:31pm

Thanks Stanley...a week ago I came in too fast and scuffed my bow...I'm going there today to look closer at the scuff..
.your advice below id Great...thank you.

Comment by Stanley Kaczenski on March 29, 2009 at 11:46pm

Good job! You said you wanted to learn so, assuming you know little, and I am not saying you don't know anything. If you come down the channel farther to starboard. But, not to close too the sea wall. Remember, your stern will swing out( to starboard) as you turn. It looks like the pivot point of your boat is about where the mast is, as it is with most boats, 1/3 the length of the boat back from the bow. I tell my students, that piloting a boat forward is like driving a car, in reverse. Try it in a parking lot and you will see what I mean. The rudder pushes the stern out the opposite direction, from the direction you are turning. In this case, away from the finger pier that is on your portside. By doing this you will have more time to make the turn and be able to straighten out the boat so that it move along parallel to the finger pier, without doing a U-turn into the dock (see guy in red below). Then you can coast or add power, if need, to get the boat to stop just before the end. When you get good, you will be able to step on to the dock and "escort" the boat forward as you drop the lines on to the cleats. If you have the lines made up with big eyes or bowlines so there is no thinking about "where" to tie it off, just drop them over the cleats. By the way, always assume that the "Nice" people on the dock, who want nothing more then to get their hands on your dock lines, don't know what they are doing. So, When that guy in the red grabbed your boat and pulls it into the dock, remember, Captain's saying," You make me look good, or you can make me look bad". Therefore,as you see these things unfold, don't think it, say it. You know the guy is going to pull the bow into the dock, the boat goes where it is pulled (or pushed). Tell him, "not to", BEFORE HE TOUCHES the boat, YOU ARE THE CAPTAIN, give orders! Take control of the dock hands!
If you need to get better at knowing where and when to turn, find a dock that is in the clear, where you can do some "touch and goes". You don't have come right up to it. Stay a few feet away, move along parallel then make a turn and see how far the stern swings out of the original path. Wait until you have cleared the dock (the stern is past the end), if you are not sure if you are far enough away from the dock. And, put some fenders out if you need to. It doesn't take long to learn how the boat reacts to turning, you see. The boat will also slide sideways as it turns, there is a lot of weight/ momentum there. The faster it is traveling, the more it will slide when the rudder is turned. You can use these two facts to your advantage, once you get the "hang" of it, and the "feel" of your boat. But, remember all boats are different, always go slow at first, until you see how the boat will react to your touch. It's like a lady you have to be gentle, yet firm!! No Pun intended!!!

Comment by Francis lashway on February 5, 2009 at 8:30am

My pleasure Lola I'm sure we'll meet some day

Comment by Ritchie Scott on January 30, 2009 at 7:32pm

Oh Lola I watched the video and the text I hadn't seen yet. I was thinking WOW this lady is a natural born pilot. She could get a job with the Chesapeake Bay Pilots. They are the guys that bring in the Freighters and containter ships through the Chesapeake Bay and get them to where they are supposed to go.

I'm still impressed with the the boat. A beautiful vessel.

Comment by LOLA on January 4, 2009 at 10:25pm

Hey David That was a professional paid captain delivering my boat/

Comment by David VanDenburgh on January 4, 2009 at 6:34pm

Lola, looks like a good job to me. At about 21 seconds (on the video clip), I would have shifted into reverse and given a small burst of throttle. That would slow the boat and swing her stern to port and her bow a little off the dock (was she rubbing - I can't tell from the video). Otherwise, I thought you did a fine job.

The key to docking and undocking under power with a single-screw boat is to use "THE MAGIC OF NEUTRAL". Leave the boat idling in neutral most of the time you are approaching, shifting in and out of forward to keep her moving into her slip at the desired speed (SLOW). At the right moment, shift into reverse, but without much throttle.

You have a nice protected slip there so you can do a lot of practicing in and out and turning around - you can turn a boat around in her own length by keeping her in neutral the whole time, just slipping her in and out of forward/reverse as needed. Little or no throttle. Wheel turned all the way to the right (assuming a right-hand prop (turns clockwise when viewed from astern). (Boats with RH props turn to the right; not very well to the left.) The prop in forward tends to move her stern to starboard. The prop in reverse tends to move her stern to port. Use it!

My wife will be in Myrtle Beach in a few weeks for a conference.

Comment by CDJ on October 15, 2008 at 9:10pm

Just checked your vid of bringing in your Freedom 30 into the slip. Very cool!!

Comment by LOLA on October 1, 2008 at 9:44pm

either way you would have to back up anyway...

Comment by LOLA on October 1, 2008 at 9:44pm

I wanted it like this for privacy

Comment by Cruiser on October 1, 2008 at 8:27pm

Wonder why the Captain didn't bring the boat into the slip stern-to, as as the power boat on the opposite side of your finger?
Larry

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